Device for marking elongated objects



A. M. BROWNVETAL DEVICE FOR MARKING ELONGATED OBJECTS 7 March 19, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1954 INVENTORS ALVI'N M. BROWN 8 BY JOHN S.AYERS WYM w March 19, 1957 A. M. BROWN ETAL 2,785,526

DEVICE FOR MARKING ELONGATED OBJECTS Filed April 23, 1954 S 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flefz.

JNVENTORS ALVIN M. BROWN 8 JOHN S. AYERS QE M W" March 19, 1957 A. M. BROWN ETAL 2,785,626

DEVICE FOR MARKING ELONGATED OBJECTS Filed April 25, 1954 3 Shee ts-Sheet s \lllli-llllllllllllh \mm V I l I I I FIG.

mmvrons 4 ALVIN M. BROWN a JOHNS. AYERS BY v ca 7 aq m f g 1 a DEVICE FOR MARKING ELONGATED OBJECTS Alvin M. Brown, Penn Township, Allegheny County, and John S. Ayers, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Jas. H. Matthews & (20., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 23, 1954, Serial No. 425,663 13 Ciaims. (Cl. fill-) This invention relates to devices for marking elongated objects such as bars, rods and tubes having advantages over marking devices for the same purpose previously proposed including the advantage that the device is automatically adaptable for marking elongated objects of different transverse dimensions.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a device for marking elongated objects having a marking element and rollers for guiding the device in movement along the elongated object While the marking element marks the object. It has been necessary to adjust the guide rollers for elongated objects of difierent transverse dimensions requiring the expenditure of substantial time and eifort. Our device obviates the necessity of adjusting the guiding means when the device is to be used for marking elongated objects of dillerent transverse dimensions.

We provide a device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object and a marking element for engaging and marking the elongated object during such movement also carried by the support, at least one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support to permit movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object when the guide members are in engagement with the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object. The two guide members are preferably spaced apart and the marking element is preferably disposed generally between the two guide members.

Our device may comprise a support, a marking element carried by the support for engaging and marking an elongated object during movement of the device along the elongated object, a first guide member carried by the support for engaging the elongated object to cooperate with the hereinafter mentioned second guide member in guiding the device in movement along the elongated object, the first guide member being disposed at one side of the marking element, mounting means carried by the support disposed at the opposite side of the marking element and having a guiding portion extending generally at right angles to a line joining the first guide membersand the hereinafter mentioned second .guide member and a second guide member for engaging the elongated object to cooperate with the first guide member in guiding the device in movement along the elongated object, the second guide member being carried by the mounting means for movement along the guiding portion relatively to the support to permit movement of the support relatively to the second guide member toward the elongated object when the guide members are in engagement with the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object. We may provide resilient means acting between the support and the second guide member resiliently retracting the support in a direction away from the line joining the guide members.

The support employed in our device may be generally "i nite States Patent 2,785,626 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 U-shaped having its central portion serving as a handle for manipulating the device, and the guide members may be carried by the respective extremities of the support. T he marking element may be rotatably carried by the support and when the marking to be applied to the elongated object is other than a line or series of lines extending longitudinally of the object the marking element will be so carried. A traction roll may be provided for driving the marking element. The traction rolls may also be rotatably carried by the support and positioned to engage the elongated object when the marking element engages the elongated object. A driving connection is preferably provided between the traction roll and the marking element whereby the traction roll upon being rotated through engagement with the elongated object as the device moves therealong rotates the marking element.

The guide members may take the form of peripherally concave guide rollers rotatably carried by the support for engaging the elongated object to properly position the device to apply the marking in a predetermined location on the elongated object as the device moves therealong. By reason of the provision of the resiliently mounted guide roller or other member no adjustment of the guide member is necessary when marking elongated objects of different transverse dimensions as the resilient means will simply be depressed to a greater extent when an elongated object of relatively great transverse dimension is being marked than when an elongated object of relatively small transverse dimension is being marked.

The marking element may be adjustably carried by the support, and inking means may be provided for the marking element, the inking means being adjustably carried by the support.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which Figure l is a side elevational view of a device for marking elongated objects;

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line l l-l l of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of the device as viewed from the left 'in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is an end view of the device as viewed from the right in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown therein a device for marking elongated objects which comprises a generally U-shaped support designated generally by reference numeral 2 whose central portion 3 serves as a handle for manipulating the device. The device is shown in the drawings to a scale whichmay be approximately full scale although the scale of the device is of course not a limitation upon the invention. The arrow 4 on the support 2 is to indicate the direction in which the-device is intended tobe moved along an elongated object to apply amarking to that object.

At its right-hand end viewing Figures 1 and 2, which end is shown in Figure 4, the support 2 is formed with an integral yoke 5 in which is journaled for rotation a guide member "6 in the form of a peripherally concave guide roller. A similariguide member 7 at the opposite end of the device is mounted for rotation upon a transversely extending shaft 8 having upwardly projecting pins 9 fixedly connected therewith (Figures 1 and 3). Each of the pins 9 may be threaded at its lower end and. screwed .into a complementary threaded bore in the shaft: 13. Each of the pins 9 has an enlarged integral head It). The support 2 at the end of the device at which the guide member 7 is disposed is formed with spaced apart opposed block-like portions 11 each having therein a generally vertical bore 12 extending completely thereth-rough whose diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the pins 9. The pins 9 extend through the bores 12 as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and a compression coil spring 13 is interposed between the shaft 8 and the lower face of each of the block-like portions 11 and surrounds the corresponding pin 9. In assembling the device each of the pins 9 is projected downwardly through the corresponding bore 12 and spring 13 and into the upper end of the corresponding threaded bore in the shaft 8 and is then turned to screw it into that bore.

The difference in diameter between the pins 9 and the bores ,12 is such as to permit easy sliding of the pins in the bores while the bores serve to guide the pins for substantially rectilinear movement therethrough. The springs 13 resiliently urge the roller 7 downwardly but when the device is held by the handle portion 3 and the rollers 6 and 7 are pressed against an elongated object to be marked the springs 13 will be compressed and the support 2 will in effect pivot about the axis of the roller 6, the end of the support having the block-like portions 11 moving relatively toward the elongated object. Such movement is accompanied by slight turning of the shaft 8 due to the change in angularity of the bores 12, but such slight turning of the shaft 8 has no adverse effect upon operation of the device. The block-like portions 11 with the bores 12 therein constitute what may be termed mounting means carried by the support 2 and having guiding portions (the bores 12) extending generally at right angles to a line joining the guide rolls 6 and 7. The guide roll 7 is carried by the mounting means 11, 12 for movement along the guiding portion 12 thereof relatively to the support 2 to permit movement of the support 2 relatively to the guide roll 7 toward the elongated object when the guide rolls 6 and 7 are in engagement with the elongated object.

The support 2 has an extension 14 integral therewith and which extends at an angle toward the central portion of the support and downwardly from one of the blocklike portions 11 (the left-hand block-like portion viewing Figure 3). A shaft 15 is journaled in the extremity of the extension 14 and has fixed thereto a pulley 16 at one side of the extension and a traction roller 17 at the opposite side of the extension, a link 18 also being pivoted to thet shaft 15 intermediate the extension 14 and the traction roller 17 as shown in Figure 2. When the traction roller 17 turns the shaft 15 and the pulley 16 turns therewith. The traction roller 17 is disposed in the common plane of the guide rollers 6 and 7 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. i

The link 18 has at its intermediate portion at one side thereof an integral hub 19, and a shaft 20 is journaled for rotation therein. A marking roll 21 is fixed to the shaft 20 at one side of the link 18 and a pulley 22 is fixed to the shaft 20 at the opposite side of the link 18. The pulley 22 is coplanar with the pulley 16 and a driving V- belt 23 is operatively disposed about the pulleys 16 and 22 so that the latter is driven from the former. The marking roll 21 is disposed in the common plane of the guide rollers 6 and 7 and the traction roller 17 and the bottoms of the traction roller 17 and the marking roll 21 are close to a line joining the bottoms of the rollers 6 and 7. The marking roll 21 has marking means 24 at its periphery adapted to apply a marking to an elongated object. The device shown in the drawings is adapted for applying a marking consisting of letters to the elongated object although various other types of markings may be applied thereby.

At its right-hand extremity viewing Figures 1 and 2 the link 18 has a hub 25 in which is journaled for rotation a shaft 26 having an eccentric portion 27 on which is journaled an inking roller 28 adapted to apply ink to the marking roll 21. The inking roller 28 is adjusted relatively to the marking roll 21 by turning the shaft 26 in the hub 25. The shaft 26 is fixed in desired position by a set screw 29.

The angularity of the link 18 to the support 2 is adjustable and is determined by a set screw 30 threaded through a portion of the yoke S and having its extremity in engagement with the hub 25 of the link 18 as shown in Figure 1. Thus the position of the inking roll relatively to the support may be adjusted, the adjustment involving slight turning of the link 18 carrying the roll about the axis of the shaft 15.

When an elongated object such as a bar, rod, tube, etc., is to have applied to it the marking on the marking roll 21 the device is grasped by the hand and the two peripherally concave guide rollers 6 and '7 are placed against the elongated object. In Figures 3 and 4 an elongated object in the form of a tube 31 is shown in cross section, but it is to be understood that our device is adapted for the marking of elongated objects of various shapes and I sizes. When the rollers 6 and 7 first engage the elongated object the traction roller 17 and the marking roll 21 are spaced somewhat from the surface of the elongated object. However, as the device is pressed toward the elongated object the traction roller 17 and the marking roll 21 are brought into contact with the surface of the elongated object, this occurring through pivoting of the support 2 about the axis of the roll 6 and compression of the springs 13 as above mentioned. The elongated object is marked by moving the device therealong in the direction of the arrow 4 with the marking roll 21 and the traction roll 17 in contact with the elongated object. Our device is universally adapted for marking elongated objects of various sizes and shapes Without adjustment of the guide rolls as has heretofore been necessary in devices for the same purpose. The guide rolls coact equally well with elongated objects of large transverse dimension and with elongated objects of small transverse dimension. To insure that both the traction roller and the marking roll will simultaneously engage the surface of the eiongated object the set screw 30 may be appropriately adjusted, but that is a very simple and rapid adjustment which can be effected in five or six seconds. The traction roller 17 precedes the marking roll along the elongated object. The surface of the traction roller 17 may be of rubber or other material having the same characteristics as rubber so that as the device is moved along the elongated object with the surface of the traction roller 17 pressed against the surface of the elongated object the traction roller turns through its frictional engagement with the elongated object and through the driving belt 23 positively turns the marking roll' 21. The diameters of the rolls and pulleys are so correlated that the surface speed of the marking roll is the same as the surface speed of the traction roller. Use of the traction roller may not be considered essential for some applications although we prefer to use such a roller to avoid possible smearing of the ink on the elongated object which may occur if the marking roll derives its own traction directly from the elongated article.

While we have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object and a marking element for engaging and marking the elongated object during such movement also carried by the support, at least one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide members are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object.

' 2. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two spaced apart guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object and a marking element for engaging and marking the elongated object during such movement also carried by the support and disposed generally between the two guide members, at least one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide members are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object.

3. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, a marking element carried by the support for engaging and marking an elongated object during movement of the device along the elongated object, a first guide member carried by the support for engaging the elongated object to cooperate with the hereinafter mentioned second guide member in guiding the device in movement along the elongated object, the first guide member being disposed at one side of the marking element, mounting means carried by the support disposed at the opposite side of the marking element and having a guiding portion extending generally at right angles to a line joining the first guide member and the hereinafter mentioned second guide member and a second guide member for engaging the elongated object to cooperate with the first guide member in guiding the device in movement along the elongated object, the second guide member being carried by the mounting means for movement along the guiding portion relatively to the support to permit movement of the support relatively to the second guide member toward the elongated object when the guide members are in engagement with the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object.

4. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, a marking element carried by the support for engaging and marking an elongated object during movement of the device along the elongated object, a first guide member carried by the support for engaging the elongated object to cooperate wtih the hereinafter mentioned second guide member in guiding the device in movement along the elongated object, the first guide member being disposed at one side of the marking element, mounting means carried by the support disposed at the opposite side of the marking element and having a guiding portion extending generally at right angles to a line joining the first guide member and the hereinafter mentioned second guide member, a second guide member for engaging the elongated object to cooperate with the first guide member in guiding the device in movement along the elongated object, the second guide member being carried by the mounting means for movement along the guiding portion relatively to the support to permit movement of the support relatively to the second guide member toward the elongated object when the guide members are in engagement with the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object, and resilient means acting between the support and the second guide member resiliently retracting the support in a direction away from said line.

5. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a generally U-shaped support the central portion of which serves as a handle for manipulating the device, guide members carried by the respective extremities of the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object and a marking element for engaging and marking the elongated object during such movement also carried by the support and disposed generally between the two guide members, one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support to permit movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongatedobject when the guide members are in engagement with the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object. 4

6. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object, a marking element for engaging and marking the elongaetdobject during such movement rotatably carried by the support, one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide members are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object, a traction roll also rotatably carried by the support and positioned to engage the elongated object when the marking element engages the elongated object and a driving connection between the traction roll and the marking element whereby the traction roll upon being rotated through engage-- ment with the elongated object as the device moves therealong rotates the marking element.

7. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two peripherally concave guide rollers rotatably carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object and a marking element for engaging and marking the elongated object during such movement also carried by the support, at least one of the guide rollers being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide rollers are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide roller toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object.

8. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in move ment along the elongated object, a marking element for engaging and marking the elongated object during such movement, mounting means for the marking element adjustably carried by the support whereby the position of the marking element relatively to the support may be adjusted, one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide members are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object.

9. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in move ment along the elongated object, a marking element for engaging and marking the elongated object during such movement rotatably carried by the support, inking means for the marking element, mounting means for the inking means adjustably carried by the support whereby the position of the inking means relatively to the marking element may be adjusted, one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide mem bers are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object.

10. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guidem'embers carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object, marking element mounting means movably carried by the support and a marking element carried by the mounting means for engaging and marking the elongated object during movement of the device along the elongated object, at least one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide members are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object.

11. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object, an arm pivoted to the support and a marking element carried by the arm for engaging and marking the elongated object during movement of the device along the elongated object, at least one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide members are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object.

12. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object, marking element mounting means movably carried by the support and a marking element carried by the mounting means for engaging and marking the elongated object during movement of the device along the elongated object, at least one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide members are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object, and adjustable means carried by the support engaging the marking element mounting means limiting movement of the marking element toward the elongated object.

13. A device for marking elongated objects comprising a support, two guide members carried by the support for engaging an elongated object to guide the device in movement along the elongated object, an arm pivoted to the support, a marking element carried by the arm for engaging and marking the elongated object during movement of the device along the elongated object, at least one of the guide members being resiliently mounted on the support, the resilient mounting maintaining the support retracted when both guide members are in engagement with the elongated object so that the marking element is out of engagement with the elongated object but permitting movement of the support relatively to that guide member toward the elongated object to bring the marking element into engagement with the elongated object, and adjustable means carried by the support engaging the arm limiting movement of the marking element toward the elongated object.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 679,290 Brewer July 30, 1901 894,961 Landau Aug. 4, 1908 1,528,457 Tillman Mar. 3, 1925 1,830,145 Vieck Nov. 3, 1931 2,186,555 Phillips Jan. 9, 1940 2,227,694 Bates Ian. 7, 1941 2,326,954 MacAnlis Aug. 17, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 389,453 Germany Feb. 4, 1924 

